Caching of backup chunks

Abstract

Contents of a plurality of backups that share a common characteristic are profiled. A portion of the plurality of backups is selected as a base backup reference data to be distributed. A first copy of the base backup reference data is stored at a storage of a backup server. A second copy of the base backup reference data is provided for storage at a storage of a client that shares the common characteristic. The client is located remotely from the backup server.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system, comprising:
 a processor configured to:
 profile contents of a plurality of backups associated with a group of backup sources that share a common characteristic; 
 select a portion of the plurality of backups as a base backup reference data to be distributed, wherein the selected portion appears a number of times across the plurality of backups associated with the group of backup sources that share the common characteristic; 
 store a first copy of the base backup reference data at a storage of a backup server; and 
 initialize a new client at least in part by a step of providing a second copy of the base backup reference data to the new client for storage at a storage of the new client, wherein to initialize the new client includes to prepopulate the new client with the base backup reference data, wherein the new client shares the common characteristic, wherein the new client is located remotely from the backup server; and 
 
 a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein profiling the contents of the plurality of backups includes dividing at least one backup of the plurality of backups into a plurality of data chunks. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2 , wherein profiling the contents includes sorting the plurality of data chunks. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 2 , wherein profiling the contents includes determining a number of times a particular data chunk has been utilized in the plurality of backups. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 2 , wherein profiling the contents includes determining a number of times a particular data chunk has been utilized in a single backup of the plurality of backups. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 2 , wherein selecting the portion of the plurality of backups as the base backup reference data includes selecting a specified percentage of the data chunks that have been most frequently utilized in the plurality of backups. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 2 , wherein selecting the portion of the plurality of backups as the base backup reference data includes selecting a most number of data chunks that is less than a maximum total data size and have been most frequently utilized in the plurality of backups. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 2 , wherein selecting the portion of the plurality of backups as the base backup reference data includes indexing the data chunks using a hash function. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the base backup reference data is stored in a hash table. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the client provides an identifier of a portion of data to be backed up rather than contents of the portion of the data to be backed up due to a determination that the portion of the data to be backed up is included in the base backup reference data. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1 , wherein profiling the contents of the plurality of backups includes performing deduplication of the plurality of backups. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the client provides to the backup server content to be backed up. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the common characteristic includes a common operating system type. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the common characteristic includes a common application installed on devices of the plurality of backups. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the backup server provides data utilized to restore data of the client. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the client is a virtual machine. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the storage of the backup server is a networked data storage accessible by the backup server via a network. 
     
     
       18. A method, comprising:
 using a processor to profile contents of a plurality of backups associated with a group of backup sources that share a common characteristic; 
 selecting a portion of the plurality of backups as a base backup reference data to be distributed, wherein the selected portion appears a number of times across the plurality of backups associated with the group of backup sources that share the common characteristic; 
 storing a first copy of the base backup reference data at a storage of a backup server; and 
 initializing a new client at least in part by providing a second copy of the base backup reference data to the new client for storage at a storage of the new client, wherein initializing the new client includes prepopulating the new client with the base backup reference data wherein the new client shares the common characteristic, wherein the new client is located remotely from the backup server. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein profiling the contents of the plurality of backups includes dividing at least one backup of the plurality of backups into a plurality of data chunks. 
     
     
       20. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
 profiling contents of a plurality of backups associated with a group of backup sources that share a common characteristic; 
 selecting a portion of the plurality of backups as a base backup reference data to be distributed, wherein the selected portion appears a number of times across the plurality of backups associated with the group of backup sources that share the common characteristic; 
 storing a first copy of the base backup reference data at a storage of a backup server; and 
 initializing a new client at least in part by providing a second copy of the base backup reference data to the new client for storage at a storage of the new client, wherein initializing the new client includes prepopulating the new client with the base backup reference data wherein the new client shares the common characteristic, wherein the new client is located remotely from the backup server.